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DOJ/FBI operation shuts down nine crypto scam centers, arrests 276 suspects and highlights rising crypto ATM fraud losses of $388 million in 2025.
The Department of Justice and FBI announced a coordinated international bust that resulted in at least 276 arrests and the shutdown of nine crypto‑fraud centers, underscoring the growing scale of organized cryptocurrency scams【1】.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Arrests | 276 |
| Scam centers closed | 9 |
| FTC crypto‑ATM loss 2025 | $388 million |
| FTC loss increase 2024‑2025 | 58 % |
Law‑enforcement agencies from the United States, Dubai, Thailand and other jurisdictions worked together to dismantle the identified networks, which operated like businesses with recruitment layers and structured systems for moving victim funds【1】. The operation targeted scams that used “pig‑butchering” tactics—slowly building trust before urging victims to invest in fake crypto platforms, often funneling money through multiple accounts before disappearing.
While the bust addresses online scams, the Federal Trade Commission reports a 1,000 % jump in money lost to cryptocurrency ATM fraud between 2020 and 2023, with losses climbing to $388 million in 2025—a 58 % rise over the previous year【2】. The FTC notes that older adults are especially vulnerable, losing an average of $10,000 each, and that more than half of transactions through Bitcoin Depot machines from August 2023 to January 2025 were linked to scams【2】. State actions are already emerging: Indiana banned crypto ATMs in March 2026, with Tennessee and Minnesota following later in the year【2】.
The crackdown shows that coordinated international effort can disrupt large‑scale crypto fraud, yet the parallel surge in ATM‑based scams suggests that perpetrators will continue to adapt, keeping vigilance essential.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 2 outlets · Jun 29, 2026 · How we report
It installs malware that gathers passwords, documents, photos, and other sensitive files, then zips and sends them to criminals (NewsBytes).
A New York resident was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for impersonating crypto influencers and defrauding victims in Maryland (The Baltimore Sun).
It monitors the clipboard, replaces copied wallet addresses with attacker‑controlled ones, and extracts seed phrases and private keys from the clipboard and screen (CryptoSlate).
Americans reported $11.37 billion in losses, a 22% increase from the previous year, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report (CryptoSlate).
Remove the malware with reputable security software and promptly reset passwords, starting with banking accounts (NewsBytes).